U.S., April 14 -- A recent study highlighted in the American Journal of Pathology has revealed that a gene which helps the body respond to bacterial infections is likely to play a protective role in experimental inflammatory bowel disease (IBD - a group of inflammatory conditions of the colon and small intestine) by improving the intestinal barrier function.
It's been earlier shown that patients' genetics as well as microbial factors contribute to IBD. For the new study, a team of researchers at the Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, looked at a mouse model system.
The research showed that the Cd14 gene served a protective role in the intestinal function of the mice. The study subjects that lacked the gene developed more severe inflammation of the gut with destabilization of the intestinal barrier as compared to controls. The study showed that the stimulation of Cd14 expression strengthened the barrier's integrity.
The findings are expected to aid development of new therapeutic approach for IBD.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Health Daily Digest.